How Intrigue have been bossing the Bristol drum and bass scene for 17 years

This February, Bristol drum and bass party Intrigue turns 17 whilst the institution’s sister label Intrigue Music turns 11. As a local label deserving recognition for long-standing achievement, they continue to showcase the best of deeper, musical and soulful shades of the genre, spotlighting hometown and international talent.

Many have come and gone in this time frame – an age of short-lived, throwaway entertainment and a threatened music scene – yet Intrigue stands as a testament to a forward-thinking, down-to-earth approach to music nights. Nationally there very few club nights of any dance music genre that have been running this long and, within the drum and bass scene, this night stands as one of the remaining few at this ripe age. Within Bristol, this is probably the longest-running drum and bass club night in the city: a feat to be proud of whether you’re into the music or not.

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Promoters Ben Payne and Joe Wills (who record together under the name of The Insiders) first started in 2005 at the now-defunct Bar Latino on St Stephens Street (which has since become The Asylum) after noticing that the deeper, more soulful side of drum and bass wasn’t represented with a regular dedicated night. After roughly a year, Ben took on sole responsibility for the night.

After many subsequent years at the intimate Dojo Club on Park Row, seeing plenty of greats grace the decks such as LTJ Bukem, Fabio, Goldie, Marcus Intalex, Break, DJ Die and more, with some brief nights at an early incarnation of Motion, the night then moved on to its current home at Thekla.

The night has settled in well at Thekla. The stage has allowed for more presentation; each night is graced by interesting visuals behind the decks, a solid MC who can really create a sense of occasion and the second room has allowed local DJ’s to flex their muscles with Frome’s Deep Space Records having provided a long-time solid service. The main room has brought us a who’s-who of deep and soulful DnB including DJ Marky, Calibre, Marcus Intalex, LSB, A.I, Fabio and Grooverider, DRS, FD, Lenzman, Break, Skeptical, Alix Perez, Logistics, Patife, Satl, Riya….the list goes on.

After a string of their own releases as The Insiders on an array of the scene’s most respected labels including Metalheadz, Goodlooking, Creative Source, Renegade, 31 Records and Defunked, Ben decided to start his own in 2009 – Intrigue Music. This showcases musical talent from around the world and, of course, from the South West which has so far included Break, Calibre, The Insiders, Randall, Random Movement, Joakuim, Raw Q, Zero T, RoyGreen & Protone, Collette Warren, Bachelors of Science, Jaybee, Superior Selectionz, Lurch, Eveson, Phase, Larigold, Phase 2, Atlantic Connection, Paramount, Tali, SMP, Ben Soundscape and many, many more…

The last year has seen unprecedented growth for Intrigue with a couple of day parties with Raze the Roof at Blue Mountain and Stokes Croft Beer Garden. Back in November, Intrigue staged a one-off smaller event at the Asylum, where it all originally started (albeit as Bar Latino).

Ben Payne (who also goes by his Ben Soundscape alias) and vocalist Collette Warren have been on a tour of Australia and New Zealand and, at the end of the year, Intrigue hosted Room Three at the world-famous club Fabric with more takeovers at the renowned club set for the rest of 2020.

To celebrate the 17th year of the night’s inaugural party, the label will release a new compilation album out at the end of February, featuring an increasingly diverse range of artists including Ben Soundscape, Octo Pi, Philth, RoyGreen & Protone, Amante and many more. The record reflects the thoughtfully melodic music purveyed by a Bristol bastion of grassroots music. As LTJ Bukem said about Bristol, “there’s something in the water”…

Main photo courtesy of Intrigue

Intrigue’s 17th Birthday will take place at Thekla on Friday, February 21. To book and for more information, visit www.theklabristol.co.uk.

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